NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry believes the All Blacks still have a long way to go if they want to win the 2007 World Cup despite confirming their place as the world’s number one team.

Doug Booth

Barbarians 19 New Zealand 47

New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup with victory over Australia in wet and windy Wellington today.

Morgan Turinui, a try-scorer in yesterday’s 34-13 victory over Scotland, has been dropped from the Australia squad to take on England in next Saturday’s World Cup final rematch.

Australia have included five new players in their squad for the forthcoming Tests against Scotland and England – and they are all from the Super 12-winning ACT Brumbies team.

Australia will try to target England’s lack of experience at fly-half when the two sides meet in June’s World Cup final rematch at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has compared Australia’s stunning World Cup semi-final success against New Zealand with a batsman moving into form.

WHEN JONNY Wilkinson kicked his third drop goal in less than an hour during the World Cup semi-final win over France, English fans began dancing in the rain.

Wallabies boss Eddie Jones tonight paid tribute to the “exceptional” coaching ability of his World Cup final rival Clive Woodward.

Ireland were pipped by one solitary point as Australia moved into the World Cup quarter-finals as Pool A winners, condemning gallant Ireland to a last-eight showdown with in-form France.

Australia know just how dangerous Brian ‘Waltzing’ O’Driscoll can be after a devastating Lions tour Down Under two years ago but, for those in the murky world of the Wallabies front row, no Irishman is held in higher esteem than Keith Wood.

Chris Whittaker will lead Australia for the first time after Wallabies coach Eddie Jones made the expected sweeping changes to his starting line-up for his team’s World Cup pool match against Namibia in Adelaide on Saturday.

US CONGRESSIONAL Democrats’ support for President Bush’s $87 billion request comes with a price: they want him to spell out details of his overall Iraq strategy.

Veteran flanker Owen Finegan was the biggest omission from Australia’s World Cup squad announced in Sydney today.

Eleven of Australia’s key players will go into the defence of the World Cup without having played a match in eight weeks.

Ireland go into tomorrow’s Test against world champions Australia in Perth brimming with confidence despite a brewing selection row.

DRY track or not, the Wallabies aren’t expecting the Irish to stray from the game plan that has seen them win 10 of their past 11 Tests and start throwing the ball around at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.

IT’S D-day for a number of clubs in the AIB All-Ireland League and none more so than Buccaneers, UL/Bohemians and Co Carlow in Division One, Dolphin and Old Crescent in Division Two and Waterpark in the third.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has played down the prospect of decoy runners and illegal blocking becoming a major issue in tomorrow’s clash against England at Twickenham.

IRFU chiefs have pledged that surface water problems at Lansdowne Road will be rectified by a new two-phase drainage system.

GEORGE GREGAN is ready to fly to and from Australia in a matter of days so he can witness the birth of his second child and return in time to lead the side at Twickenham against England next Saturday.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll believes his side have their best-ever chance of ending their 23-year victory drought against Australia at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

IRELAND wing Denis Hickie has been passed fit to face Australia at Lansdowne Road tomorrow after recovering from a wrist injury.

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones was already weary after a marathon haul from Buenos Aires yesterday, but the conundrum over who wears the No 15 jersey against Ireland on Saturday has further furrowed his brow.

CHRIS LATHAM has been ruled out of Australia's tour to Argentina, Britain and Ireland next month after being injured in a freak accident.

The Wallabies have named three uncapped players in their squad of 27, for the November tour of Ireland, Argentina, England and Italy.

Australia blew open the 2002 Tri-Nations title race, and retained the Bledisloe Cup once again, as Matt Burke rediscovered his kicking boots.

Wendell Sailor has been dropped from Australia's squad for the Tri-Nations clash with New Zealand.

Injury worries forced Australian selectors to name an expanded 26-man squad for the opening Tri Nations clash with New Zealand in Christchurch on July 13.

Australia winger Ben Tune is hoping to finally overcome the injury woe which has plagued him for the past two years and recapture his place in the Wallabies Test team.

Australia have announced a squad of 31 players for the three-match Test series against the Lions this summer.